Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings will discontinue flights from several cities to the former Yugoslavia this summer season. Most of the routes were maintained on a seasonal basis. The low cost carrier will terminate operations from Stuttgart to Ohrid and Tivat, from Berlin to Zagreb and Pula, from Dusseldorf to Zagreb and Ohrid, from Cologne to Osijek, from Hanover to Rijeka and from Salzburg to Split. Furthermore, the carrier will significantly reduce capacity on flights to Mostar. Services between Stuttgart and Mostar, which were operated by the 144-seat Airbus A319 aircraft last year will now be maintained with the seventy-seat Dash 8 Q400 equipment. On the other hand, flights from Dusseldorf to Mostar have been reduced from two to one per week on board the A319. They have been scheduled to run only until the end of August.
As a result of the cancellations, Eurowings will withdraw from the Macedonian market after only one season. The carrier will also halve its operations to Zagreb, Osijek and Tivat. Eurowings is in the process of consolidating its operations in an attempt to return to profitability by next year. The airline is aiming to slash costs by 15% over the next three years. However, the carrier’s shorthaul business is likely to face further challenges and price competition from Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet. Furthermore, Eurowings’ long haul operations are expected to be replaced by a new brand during 2020, most likely to be known as Edelwings since the name Eurowings is negatively perceived by many passengers due to various irregularities.
For the 2020 summer season, Eurowings has scheduled a single new route to the former Yugoslavia, with the airline to launch flights from Stuttgart to Belgrade on May 21. The carrier has also been selected to operate landmark flights between Belgrade and Pristina, which are expected to commence during the summer of 2020, although they are yet to be scheduled and put on sale. Last Saturday, the low cost carrier operated its last service between its base in Pristina and Vienna. The route’s termination came as a result of strong competition from Wizz Air, which launched the same service last month.
hahahhaha Tra la la - Airlines!
ReplyDeleteThey don't seem to have a strategy in place for ex-Yu markets.
ReplyDeleteThey use trial and error.
DeleteIt’s not only 9 .... all destinations from MUC are suspended, Nürnberg Split an Hannover Dubrovnik as well
ReplyDeleteDidn't someone mention that they are cutting regular flights to PRN as well?
Delete^ Someone did mention it but it was not true or at least they have scheduled them since. Munich and Frankfurt were in question.
Deletethey seemed to have put them back on sale. 3 weekly BUT imagine PRN-FRA cost 320€ one way!!
DeleteYes just checked. Fares are crazy. Return tickets over 600 euros.
DeleteEW is hiring in Kosovo, in partnership with EuroKoha, planning to base a second A320
Delete320€ is their highest class fare. They are closing the fare classes as their base in PRN will close. They do not want anyone to book. Only remaining destinations will be HAJ and DUS.
DeleteQuite bad news for Mostar. One route down to 1 per week and the other downgraded to Q400. The worst part is they are getting paid for these flights.
ReplyDeleteThey got a raw deal.
Delete+1
DeleteNot only are they paying them good money but they didn't get year long flights, they didn't get any frequency increase (instead they got frequency cut) and they didn't get any capacity growth.
This sounds bit strange to me, because I flew OMO-DUS last august on A319, and not only was the plane almost completely full (maybe 5 empty seats), but the ticket price wasn't that cheap either, so I don't think they were loosing money on it.
DeleteДа поновим - дилетанти каквих нема.
ReplyDeleteWhat I find especially interesting is that even though they are cutting flights left and right they have decided to launch BEG from STR where they will not offer any connections. So odd.
ReplyDeleteI am shocked they failed on TXL-ZAG.
ReplyDeleteZagreb lost connection with Berlin, though easyJet will start it soon for sure
DeleteeasyJet already said ZAG is too expensive for them.
DeleteThey actually did not fail on the route. ZAG was the last to be cancelled. It was one of the few profitable ex TXL. LHR, CDG and all other got cancelled. They are withdrawing from Berlin, focussing on intra German routes that are served mostly from their other bases. In summer when business demand goes back they manage to fly a few tourist cities on weekends.
DeleteBut EW is in deep trouble seeking its strategy. germanwings will be flying for LH out of MUC withdrawing there completely. They will also completely withdraw from Vienna where they will fly for OS in a (hopeless?) fight with Wizz and Lauda. Hanover s being closed too.
EW will still fly to six destinations from Berlin. If ZAG was truly profitable for them they would have kept it as a W pattern. Obviously profits were not there to warrant the continuation of operations there.
DeleteReally Anon 9:16: I would assume them to have pulled the plug earlier than 15 years afer the service launched. Strange that that is all happening when they decide to withdraw from Berlin.
DeleteThey are not withdrawing from Berlin, they are merely closing down the base. They can still operate W pattern flights to profitable destinations.
Delete... or Easy could upgrade LJU service :)
Delete@ Anon 09:51
DeleteThat is why they are not flying anywhere in W Pattern :D
W6 effect. They really kicked EW arse.
ReplyDeleteEW never took ex-YU seriously. When you start with their pathetic Facebook destination survey to those extremely short route duration.
Such a pity, knowing it comes from LH .
VY and HV for example are far more serious LCC divisions of their mother airlines. IB and AF/KL respectively.
+1000
DeleteBut many of these routes did not have direct competition from Wizz Air. Like Zagreb to Berlin or Dusseldorf.
DeleteYou really think that STR-BEG was kept for 2 months thought a few years to now become the pearl in their destination network? EW is clueless. They try and fail.
DeleteThey are not cancelling ZAG from DUS and TXl because they have competition. They are closing TXL and returning 40 aircraft. It is not so hard to understand if you are really involved with aviation.
But hey you would probalby cancel Lyon ex DUS in favour of keeping ZAG which is flown daily ex CGN when you know that there is no connecetion to LYS ex NRW.
So basically EW is clueless for launching BEG while somehow it's a wise business decision to suspend ZAG. Sure, interesting rationale. Just admit it, ZAG underperformed from DUS and TXL, simple as that.
DeleteSTR will be launched to compete with FKB. A growing gasto destination...
DeleteYes BEG was flown for a few years 2 months a year with low occupancy and cancelled because it was totally unprofitable. Now in 2020 they realized how important BEG is and launch it 4 times a week. Zag has been flown for the past 15 years ex TXL and now they realize that they almost bankrupt because of that route.
DeleteIs that your rationale? I just wonder how long that adventure will last. Then we can talk about EWs cluelessness.
Well the market to BEG is obviously there, I mean there is JU with six weekly flights and Wizz Air with (now) three weekly, so in total 9. EW probably thinks they can stimulate some passengers not to fly out of FKB by going from STR.
DeleteOh that must be radical new thinking of EW after the cancelled the flights because of poor loads before.
DeleteEurowings is competing with LCCs while it has a cost base that is higher than most full service carriers in Europe.
ReplyDeleteSo it is logical that they are struggling in every market they operate, not just exyu.
+1
DeleteThe most cancellations are related to the airports in Croatia
ReplyDeleteTXL-ZAG
TXL-PUY
DUS-ZAG
CGN-OSI
HAJ-RJK
SZG-SPU
It means they were growing too fast in Croatia and now the results are lower than expected.
Actually no.
DeleteEurowings is cutting flights everywhere in Europe.
They are in trouble and they are trying to reduce losses.
It is also possible that they didný apply or did not get the udruzenjo oglasavanje tender.
DeleteWhat I mean that they got less assistance than in the previous years while more went to other airlines.
DeleteThis was the list for ex Yugoslavia.
DeleteSo in ex-Yu EW cuts the most in Croatia. Sorry, but it is the fact.
Well they flew the most to Croatia (and still do). In other countries they have 2 routes.
DeleteWhat was the point of the Hamburg-Zagreb flights? I always found these type of Eurowings routes with 8 flights in total per season complete nonsense.
DeleteNot even one ex-Yu country has so long sea coast - the reason for so many flights to Croatia. Nothing more.
DeleteAnd even with that fact 3 EW routes got cancelled from Adriatic coast (TXL-PUY, HAJ-RJK, SZG-SPU) and all to rich German / Austrian markets.
Well I'm not here to defend the Croatian market but the airline is trying to get their finances in order and there is massive competition on Germany-coastal Croatian markets. Also, the Croatian market is growing quite strongly (compare 2019 vs 2019 figures), so it certainly isn't a lack in demand that is causing them to suspend the flights.
DeleteI think from HAM they were trying to expand to destinations nor already served by Easyjet.
DeleteNaturally most weren't served because demand wasn't there in a year round base.
Croatian market on the coast is growing. It is correct. Therefore only low frequency routes have been cancelled.
DeleteCroatian market on the continent is in trouble. Losing the connection from ZAG to German capital is not sign of good ZAG market
Exactly Anon 10:22. Spain, Greece and Italy have longer coasts and that is their main advantage. Otherwise no one would be going there. The longer the coast the more passengers. That is also the reason with UK- long coast. People go to coast.
DeleteSpain capital airport
DeleteMAD = 61,734,037 mil passengers in 2019
Italy capital airport
FCO = 42,995,119 mil passengers in 2019
Greece capital airport
ATH = 24,135,736 mil passengers in 2019
Croatia capital airport
ZAG = 3,435,531 mil passengers in 2019
You really found the countries to compare to.
The people from Croatian continent and especially from Slavonija region massively leave their country mostly towards western European countries. Couple of days ago we had a report here of a person driving through eastern Slavonija like through the desert.
And you still believe that Croatian sea coast is not the biggest magnet for tourists?
They are simply crazy about Gradiska, Pozega, Vinkovci and Bjelovar.
I don't understand the people saying that Adriatic coast is not actually one of the biggest reasons for tourist visit.
DeleteNumber of passengers on coastal airports in Croatia in 2019
8.010.606
Number of passengers on non-coastal airports in Croatia in 2019
3.481.909
Anon 12.11.
DeleteSo you are suggesting ZAG should have 60 million passengers?
Are you aware that Spain has 12x the population of Croatia? Tell me what is a reasonable number of passengers you would expect to have. I mean everyone here is saying it should at least have 10 million passengers. Tell me one country the population size of Croatia that has a single airport of 10 million.
Anon @12:11
DeleteATH in 2019 had 25,574,030 pax.
What you wrote was the 2018 results.
@anon 13:21
DeleteI was not the one who put Croatia in the same basket with Greece, Spain and Italy. You mentioned them. I just showed you how far you were from the reality.
Do you understand that ZAG added in last 10 years only 1.370.000 passengery while
(continental airports like ZAG)
SOF added 4.00 million
BEG added 3,77 million
TIA added 2.00 million
Croatian Adriatic coast airports added in last 10 years
SPU 2,2 million
DBV 1,8 million
ZAD 600.000 (or 3 times more!)
And you are saying ironically that people travel only to the coast.
Well, yes, most of the tourists that fly to Croatia travel mostly to the Croatian coast and having such a long and warm coast puts Croatia in much more favourable position comparing it to all ex-yu countries except maybe Montenegro. Therefore it is not realistic to compare number of passengers in countries of the region but to compare number of passengers in each of the airports.
Now you see why EW has the most frequencies to Croatia.
children
DeleteAnnon 13;21
DeleteCyprus pop. 935.000 LCA 8,2 mil pax
Greece pop. 10.8 mil ATH 25 mil pax
Pro rated ZAG should be close to 10 mil if you look things from this perspective..
@dassal
Delete+100
That's quite unfortunate. Less options.
ReplyDeleteOther routes like STR-SPU are bein increased from 6 to 9 weekly.
DeleteAnd here I was hoping they might actually launch SKP.
ReplyDeleteAnd compete against Wizz? No chance.
DeleteWell remember a few years ago they started selling tickets to Skopje and then discontinues sales.
Delete"Edelwings"?? Wtf?
ReplyDeleteThe airline has changed its brand so many times. This would be the third. First they were Germanwings.
DeleteBrand name Eurowings is the best 5 star.
DeleteEdelwings sound like a village name! no one knows sik name
I must say the Admin mixed something up.
DeleteEdelwings is only an LH-internal nick name for the project that is supposed to find a new brand name and strategy for Eurowings leisure long haul ops.
:(
ReplyDeleteNo direction and no strategy.
ReplyDeleteAnd just two years ago they were expanding like crazy in the region. Sad.
ReplyDeleteObviously it was not sustainable.
DeleteI hope they manage to overcome their issues and return to growth soon.
ReplyDeleteWeren't there rumors at one point they wanted to open a base in ZAG?
ReplyDeleteThey were considering it last year. But the government intervened to protect OU.
DeleteShame. To me it looked as if they were the one LCC that would expand in ZAG.
DeleteSo what's the LCC situation in ZAG now? Who is left and with how many flights?
DeleteThere is Eurowings, Vueling and Norwegian. Norwegian only flies for 2 months from Copenhagen though. Vueling also flies only during summer.
DeleteTheir Pristina base is being closed as well. Flights will only operate to DUS and HAJ.
Delete^ not true.
DeleteAnd on many routes that are not being suspended they are reducing frequnecies.
ReplyDeleteSad
DeleteIs that Croatian guy still their route manager?
ReplyDeleteYes. Network development manager.
DeleteShows that you shouldn't be emotional when deciding where to fly.
DeleteYeah right. He certainly wasn't the only one making the decisions and certainly had to base those decisions on some actual figures for them to be approved.
DeleteGiven today's news I highly doubt it lol
DeleteI have never flown them. What are they like as an airline? Service wise? Typical LCC or more hybrid?
ReplyDeleteThey are a typical LCC but their costs are much higher than traditional LCCs. Hence they are losing money and cutting routes.
DeleteThey are one of the better LCCs - I'd compare them to Easyjet.
DeleteTerrible.
ReplyDeleteThey are cutting also LJU route? Oh wait...
ReplyDeleteFm German- to Eurowings and now another name change... Edelwings does not really sounds convincing, especially since it's German/English in one word
ReplyDeleteI read they based it on Edelweiss since that subsidiary is doing well for them. But it might not be the final name. It's a working title :D
DeleteIt is just a made up name of staff to mock the low cost long haul project.
DeleteLCC flying on a Dash8 is crazy.
ReplyDeleteDUS-ZAG is a two hour flight on the DASH :D But they are leaving the fleet leaving EW with 20 planes less.
DeleteI thought I read the Dashes leave EW only next year in 2021.
DeleteMaybe they start LJU?
ReplyDeleteMaybe not.
DeleteWell EW has to survive somehow. Their losses are huge.
ReplyDeleteConsidering they are putting 30 planes out of service, not surprising really.
ReplyDeleteIf any of these were profitable then someone else will step in.
ReplyDeleteCould we see Wizz Air launch any of these flights?
DeleteWizz Air does not fly to main airports.
DeleteIf they were profitable they wouldn't be ending them.
DeleteYep, only 60-70 flights a day to MAD, BCN, LGW, FRA, CGN, SXF, OSL, GLA, FCO, TLV, MXP, VKO, LED, NCE, EDI, LIS, GVA, HAM, ORY, BRU and the likes.
DeleteGood news mostly for Croatia Airlines, bad for consumers.
ReplyDeleteI don't see how. They didn't compete on most of these routes.
DeleteMore transfers via FRA MUC or VIE etc
DeleteI'm surprised some of these didn't work out for them.
ReplyDeleteThe Berlin-Zagreb suspension is good for LJU-SXF route.
ReplyDeleteEW keeps RJK-TXL, so people from ZAG can use that one as well. It's one hour longer by car from downtown Zagreb than to Pleso.
DeleteLast summer in July and September I had 2x flights split-nuremberg and 3x Salzburg- Split. The plane in every flight was almost empty 15-20 passengers, specially Split Nuremberg in July
ReplyDeleteReally? Nice. I believe you :)
DeleteLLC are not trustworthy.
ReplyDeleteLegacy airlines FTW.
Because legacy carriers never cancel any routes, right?
DeleteEW should have tried long-haul LCC from routes with higher demand:
ReplyDeletePRN-JFK
ZAG-JFK
SKP-YYZ
DBV-EWR
they could enter year around VIE-LJU?
ReplyDeleteOS would lobby against it regarding KLU. No chance.
DeleteEurowing should stop their fight to Mauritius also because service is very disappoint you fight and staff 12h which you have to pay for water ,coffee ,tea some food and snack another fight gave water n other drink n snack for free stop go to Mauritius with shit airlines in the world
ReplyDelete